U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,331 discloses a product in which an outer skin is formed with an integral loop portion that forms part of a handle on the product. While suitable for its intended purpose it does not have a full 360 degree skin cover at the handle portion. Rather, the handle is made up of a partial loop portion and a rigid injection molded piece which combine to form the hand grip surface of the handle.
Other padded handle assemblies are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,403 to Hood which discloses an armrest with a soft cellular foam core. U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,072 to Belanger teaches an inner door pull with a soft molding which encases a metal strip. In each case the door handle is formed as a separate element which must be fastened to a door panel or other like interior trim product.
It is also generally known to form skins or shells from powdered, liquid or paste types of thermoplastic material by directing the thermoplastic material directly unto the heated mold for fusing and curing a thin layer of material on the mold to form the shell or skin product. Examples, of such prior art casting methods is set-forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,562,025; 4,610,620; and 4,623,503.
It is also generally known to make up composite panels having a rigid structural insert by locating a thin skin or shell of thermoplastic material into a mold cavity part; locating the rigid structural insert in spaced relationship with the skin or shell and then filling a space between the shell and insert with foam precursors that react to form a soft cellular foam core between the shell and the insert. An example of such a method is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,856.
Copending U.S. patent application No. 377,254, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,687, hereby incorporated by reference, shows apparatus and a method for making a 360.degree. handle with a mold plug and mold that forms spaced parallel slightly raised parting line ridges on the inside surface of the handle. Such parting lines can be felt by the user.
Current technology for 360.degree. handles requires a loose piece to form back surfaces of a handle. This loose piece leaves two parallel parting lines on the finished product. It is impossible to eliminate these parting lines which can be easily felt when holding the finished part. Also, as tools wear, the lines increase in size and flash is a constant problem which requires hand trimming. Hand trimming is costly and not always satisfactory; a rough feel is always present.